To Please A Woman
by bullybullet6
Summary: Ivar makes an arrangement with an ex-slave...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** New story I felt like wasting my time on. Hopefully I can keep my muse around long enough to complete it.

This is an Ivar/OC story, and so will be relatively slowburn(ish) as this _is_ Ivar we're talking about: We all know what he's like. Chapters will be relatively short so that I can post weekly.

Warnings: anything expected in _Vikings_. Ivar and the OC aren't actually the ones having the sex... yet ;). Undecided whether it will be explicit or not.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

* * *

 _Half the town is underground,_

 _And half are halfway there,_

 _And we're the only good ones left._

* * *

Kari paced into the Great Hall, the home of Queen Aslaug, on nimble feet. She shrugged the thick, orange mess of a ponytail from her shoulder as she readjusted her hold on the bucket of fresh fish that was slipping from her grasp.

The Hall was deserted aside from the Queen herself and her youngest son, Ivar. Both sat on the high-backed chairs and Kari approached them, bowing her head to Aslaug in respect without sparing a glance at the boy.

"Queen Aslaug," the girl greeted respectfully.

She placed the wooden bucket on the ground before her feet with a small _thud_.

"What brings you here today?" Aslaug smiled warmly.

"I come with a sample of carp breams that Calder netted earlier today." Kari answered politely. "He would love for his fish to be served at the feast tomorrow night if you approve."

Aslaug rose to her feet, descending the small set of stairs with an ethereal grace. She began to stoop for the bucket when Kari stopped her.

"Please Queen Aslaug, allow me," she interrupted, bending and retrieving a carp bream from amongst the ice. "I would not want for your hands to smell of seafood."

She held the fish out for Aslaug to see, turning the cold, scaly body slowly in her grasp so the woman before her could examine it.

"Each of the many fish he netted is either the same size or larger." Kari explained. "Should you decide they are to your liking, Calder has dozens of them on ice for you."

The Queen turned and ascended the stairs. Kari placed the fish gently back into the bucket and shifted some ice atop it to keep it fresh. She ignored the blatant stare she was receiving from Ivar the Boneless and brushed her icy hands against her simple brown dress, looking back to Aslaug for her verdict.

As Aslaug seated herself upon her throne she said, "Inform Calder that I am very pleased with his work and that the fish will be very much enjoyed at tomorrow night's feast. You may leave."

Hoisting the heavy bucket onto her hip, Kari bowed her head briefly and turned to leave.

"Wait." It was Ivar's voice that called to her. Kari turned around to face him on his absent father's throne.

"What is it, son?" asked Aslaug, the tender smile upon her face showing her willingness to please the boy.

"I am so tired after such a long day, mother." Ivar answered, not moving his unreadable stare from Kari. "I might need help from the girl to bathe tonight."

When Aslaug opened her mouth to disagree, he turned his gaze to her. "You do not wish for me to fall asleep in the tub and drown, do you?"

His words were soft and not unkind, but it was not lost on Kari that he was playing on his mother's worry for him in order to get what he pleased.

"Of course not, Ivar." Aslaug tenderly reached for his hand. "But why not have one of the slaves aid you? Surely they would be more experienced for the task?"

"There are no slaves in the room, mother, and the girl is standing right before us." Ivar reasoned. "It is much more convenient."

"Very well." Surrendered the Queen, releasing his hand.

Kari did not want to bathe Ivar, she had to get back to the fisherman with news from the Queen. She furrowed her brows at her lack of input on the matter. Did neither of them think that she might have had other plans for the night?

Ivar the Boneless slid from the grand chair, carrying himself on his hands as he slithered down the steps with well-practised ease.

"Come, girl." He ordered as he crawled past her.

Kari, being several years older than the boy, would have found him calling her 'girl' amusing in another situation. She was not impressed by his demanding tone, and did not make a move to tail him.

"Why are you not following?" Ivar asked, rolling onto over to sit upright with his legs stretched out before him, facing her. His tone was light, though it was laced with annoyance and impatience.

Kari subconsciously stood up slightly taller, looking down at his scowling face.

"I am no longer a slave." She told him, her voice neither resentful nor light, purely emotionless and factual. "I cannot be ordered around or possessed like an object anymore."

Ivar's scowled deepened immensely despite her politeness. "You will do as I say or there will be a price for you to pay."

"You cannot punish me for a disobedience that was not unlawful to commit."

The boy snarled up at her from his seated position, looking as though he were about to say or do something impetuous. There was suddenly a respectful yet firm hand upon her shoulder. She turned her head to see Aslaug coming to stand beside her.

The tall beauty sent a tight-lipped smile, one that did not reach her eyes, down at Kari. The grip on her shoulder was slightly tighter than what social etiquette might deem polite, but the girl did not mention it to the powerful woman faking a smile at her.

"You say that you cannot be ordered around, but Ivar is your prince, is he not?" Aslaug reminded her patronisingly. "Slave or not, a person must do as a prince commands."

Kari pursed her lips to stop herself protesting, instead choosing to nod in agreement to avoid conflict with the queen of her country.

"You are right, Queen Aslaug," She admitted without hesitation. "It was unwise of me not think my actions through. Please forgive me."

Aslaug grinned, struggling to hide the arrogance of it. "It is quite alright, you are forgiven. Go with my son now."

Kari eyed the bucket of fish on her hip. "How shall Calder learn of your decision?" She asked the Queen.

"Leave it there. I will have one of my slaves deliver the samples as well as my word."

Kari placed the bucket against the timber floor and bowed her head at the Queen one final time, not showing her acrimony at doing so after what the woman was forcing her to do.

"Thank you for your time and for your kindness." Kari spoke respectfully.

Kari then turned to Ivar the Boneless, who was smirking smugly at her. She waited with an unreadable expression for him to flip onto his stomach and crawl from the Hall before following after him.

As soon as the giant doors closed after her, she dropped her obedient façade and stalked past Ivar, overtaking him without a backwards glace to see him scowling dirtily at her yet again. Kari strode briskly to the large cabin several houses down from the Great Hall, ascending all three of the steps to the porch in a single stretch of her legs. There, she waited for the crippled boy to make his way down the dirt path; despite her annoyance at being burdened with a chore so unnecessary as bathing a fully grown boy, Kari was not so rude as to enter someone's house without their company or their invitation.

Shortly after, Ivar dragged himself up the steps -a task that Kari would never admit took impressive and immense strength. He unlatched the heavy wooden door with a sneer and did not wait up for her as he slithered inside. Kari followed, the door shutting out the rest of the town as she closed it behind her.

It was now only herself and the cripple, enclosed together by the cabin's solid walls.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Many thanks for the reviews. I'm elated people are noticing and enjoying my work. Much love.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

* * *

 _You were brave as a chessboard queen,_

 _But the shoe didn't fit your feet._

 _Cover the mouth of Earth's great cough._

* * *

As soon as she entered the cabin, Kari made quick work of heading to the fireplace and setting the dry logs within it ablaze. When the fire was breathing easily and burning bright, she filled a great big pot with water and hung it above the flames. She only needed one pot of water, for once it was scalding hot, the temperature would become pleasantly warm when mixed with the cool water she was already filling the tub with.

The tub itself was large, extremely so, and looked to be able to fit two grown men comfortably. It's oval-shaped, wooden structure looked sturdy and dependable. Kari wondered who could have made such a marvellous thing.

Ivar the Boneless watched her intently as she continued working. His scowl had diminished. He seemed to be much more at ease now that he was in the privacy of his own home. Perhaps the way he acted in the presence of others was worse than the way he actually was. In the glances she stole while she set up a stool beside the tub, Kari noticed that his face was less a sneer and more a frown.

Walking back to the fireplace, she saw that tiny bubbles were beginning to rise to the surface of the water in the pot. It would not be long now before it was boiling wildly.

Kari unknotted the last band in her unkempt hair. She placed it between her teeth, gathering her mess of orange waves and manoeuvred them off her shoulders and atop her head. She secured the large, lopsided bun with the band.

Kari was not one for luscious hairstyles. While most of the women wore their hair out in intricate braids, or twisted it about their heads in beautiful patterns adorned with ornaments, Kari wore hers as a thick rope down her back, with bands wrapping around it every two inches to keep it tamed. Even so, completing her jobs during the day would sometimes prove difficult for her when the orange snake would fall over her shoulder in the way of whatever it was she was trying to do. She had debated simply chopping it off, but couldn't bring herself to part with it. No, it was the out-of-the-way bun that she preferred.

Kari turned to Ivar, who was regarding her hair with poorly masked curiosity.

"That is not a style I have seen before." He said flatly.

He was seated at the wooden bench on the opposite side of the fireplace to the bath. Kari approached him as she replied, "I have noticed it is not a common trend amongst the people of Kattegat."

"It doesn't look good. Not on you, anyway." Ivar looked her in the eye. "Why do you not just take better care of your hair?"

Kari smiled, her first real one since entering the Great Hall this evening. She was amused.

"I do not care if you don't think it looks good. I do not wear my hair a certain way for your benefit, _Prince_." She teased lightly. "And I suppose that I'm simply lost when it comes to styling hair. I cannot make anything of it besides a rope."

"Such a shame." The cripple tsked dryly. "I might have considered you beautiful if not for your horrid hair."

"That is the wrong thing to say to a woman if you hope to not receive the cold shoulder. I'm not surprised you haven't yet bed a woman." Kari quipped. "Shall you remove your clothes or shall I?"

Ivar's light features turned sour with a glower at her words. Obviously the topic of women was tender for him.

"I've bed many women." The boy countered sharply. When Ivar made no move to take his own clothes off, Kari did so for him.

"Of course you have." Kari agreed, making it clear she did not believe him.

He merely curled his top lip at her but remained silent as she crouched down and began unstrapping his forearm braces and sliding them off. Kari's fingers were nimble and she undid the buckles and knots with speed and ease. She stood, leaning over him to slip his tan over-shirt off his shoulders. She straightened it out and lay it down on the table behind him alongside the arm braces. His long purple shirt was next to go. She unbuckled his waist belt and took the fabric by the hem. She was pleasantly surprised when he did not resist her, he even lifted his arms up to assist instead of acting like the sour child she thought he would.

A lifetime of depending on upper body strength to move about had sculpted his arms and chest extremely well. Kari paused halfway through a fold she was making in his shirt to admire his torso. Blinking once to bring herself back to focus, she met Ivar's gaze to see him smirking yet again.

He leaned back against the tabletop, one elbow extending out leisurely against the wood as his hand hung freely. "Like what you see?"

Kari finished folding the shirt and threw it over his head onto the table behind him. She gave a scoff and a playful grin.

"Oh, my prince!" She cried mockingly. "I'm falling to my knees before you at the mere sight of your beauty!"

Kari, true to her word, lowered herself to her knees before him as he rolled his eyes, but he couldn't fight the amused smile forcing its way onto his face.

She ran her finger up and down the length of his knee high boots absentmindedly as she tried to solve the complex puzzle of the ropes, straps, and knots that held them together. The thick leather bands on the outermost layer seemed to be the simplest, so she reached for the highest one, just below his knees, and set to work.

* * *

Ivar stared down at her as she perched on her knees before him. He drew in his estranged elbow after a wave of uncertainty lapped at him: Did he really want this fire-haired girl to see him stripped bare? Unlike what he had told her, he had only ever had one lover in the past, and his inability to pleasure her had resulted in the night not ending well; She had ultimately left Ivar for his brother Ubbe, never to share his bed again. His lack of experience made him nervous -an unfamiliar sensation he did not enjoy- despite Ivar reminding himself that she did not come here to try and sleep with him.

No, she had come here to bathe him.

Ivar let go of his apprehension at the thought of her running out, screaming and crying once she saw all of him. He was the prince of this country, and if she dared make him feel ashamed, he would slit her throat and leave her body for the pigs. He would not allow himself to fall back into the pit of self-loathing and insecurity he had once dwelled in.

She was merely a girl, and Ivar royalty. He would do with her as he pleased.

* * *

The third thick, leather strap fell into her grasp and she laid it down beside her in parallel with the rest. The lacing of his high boots were intricate, and once Kari unknotted the top, it took some time to pick loose the string from their many confines. She slipped his feet from the huge boots, not paying attention to their eerily slim shape, and set them down next to each other to the side.

"You will have to stand in order for me to remove your pants." Kari informed him.

Ivar shook her off. "I can manage this part myself. Go make sure the bath is ready."

Kari bit her tongue as the urge to snap at him not to give her orders came over her; she did not wish for him to turn to his sour mood again- he had already scowled at her enough times to last an eternity. Even so, she made her way back to the fireplace once more, checking to ensure the water was boiling.

Taking a smaller, more manageable pot into her hands, Kari began cautiously transferring the scalding water into the already half-full tub. She repeated the process until the water was warm enough.

"The bath is ready." She turned to look at Ivar, easily keeping her eyes on his face and not allowing them to stray elsewhere.

He crawled past her, pulling himself onto the stool she set down, and then hoisting himself onto the rim of the giant wooden bath. Ivar pulled his legs up, over, and into the water before submerging himself.

As he sank into the warmth, his body visibly slackened as he relaxed. The water only came up to just below his nipples, and Kari resumed her task of carrying hot water to the tub. By the time the water had covered his armpits, leaving only his collarbones and shoulders exposed, Ivar's eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping, his head reclined back against the rim of the tub.

Kari realised then that he was wearing a necklace. Intrigued, she moved closer trying to get a better look at it. Delicate strings of dark brown leather had been braided together to form a thin rope, and from the rope hung a small, silver axe head. The pendant itself was embossed with elaborate designs, surely carved by a master craftsman.

The water would surely damage the friable leather, and Kari did not wish for something so beautiful to be destroyed. She lowered herself silently onto the stool, silent so as not to wake the sleeping boy so close to her. Kari leaned over the rim of the tub and circled her arms around Ivar's neck, and with a touch as gentle as she could manage, the tips of her fingers searched for the knot that clasped the leather ends together. Finding it, she blindly untied the knot and began retracting her hands to herself. A sudden splash of water sounded from in front of her and then Ivar had her wrist enclosed in his steady grip. His necklace dangled from her hand, directly in front of his face, and he looked at it before raising his eyes to hers.

Even the whites of his eyes seemed to glow with a faint blue hue as he raised an eyebrow at her and asked lowly, "You would thieve from a sleeping man?"

Knowing she would not be able to pull her wrist free of his grasp, Kari merely used her free hand to take the necklace and lay it down where it would not become wet. He did not attempt to stop her.

"If I was thieving from you, you would not have noticed until I had long walked away."

Despite it being clear that he knew she was not, in fact, stealing from him, Ivar did not release her cloth-covered wrist. He continued to stare at her. To Kari, it seemed as though he was in deep thought. She met his intense regard with a neutral expression, not squirming under his stare as she often saw others do.

When he realised he would not gauge a reaction from her, Ivar let go of her arm and submerged his and under the water once again.

"Wash me."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'm getting on a plane to head to my hometown today, so I thought I'd post this early instead of making everyone wait a further week.

On another note, I've decided the average chapter length for this story will be 1000-2000 words, though this chapter here is just a smidge under.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

* * *

 _The familiar sting of the woodcutter's swing_

 _To the tree._

* * *

" _Wash me."_

He watched calmly as the girl rolled the long sleeves of her brown dress up past her elbows, tucked a few stray orange hairs behind her ears, and soaked a washcloth in the hot water. He allowed her to lift each of his arms in turn and scrub them gently. Ivar was tempted to hold his arms to his sides and watch her struggle to move them, simply for the sake of amusement, but he did no such thing. Instead, he let her manipulate his body as she needed.

The girl flicked her hands, relieving them of excess water, and stood.

"Sit up straight." She said as she hiked her dress above her knees.

Ivar bit back the snarky remark on his tongue about her exposing herself like a whore.

"Did you just give me an order?" He asked incredulously.

The girl merely scoffed. "I need to scrub your shoulders and back. But if you do not wish for me to continue bathing you, _Prince_ , I can always leave."

"No." Ivar snapped quickly. He used the sides of the tub to pull himself upwards, his back straight as a board.

He was unsure exactly why he was so adamant on her not leaving. Perhaps it was her boldness: her fearlessness in the presence of Ivar the Boneless, the most unpredictable and cruel of Ragnar's sons. Perhaps it was her indifference to his crippled legs, for she avoided looking at them not out of disgust, but simply because to her they were simply just legs.

Whatever it was, Ivar would _never_ admit that he enjoyed her company.

The girl raised a questioning brow at his obeying her command, and then stepped into the bath. She sat behind him on the rim of the wooden tub, her legs parted brazenly for her knees to accommodate his broad shoulders.

She flicked him on the ear with her finger. "Stop ogling my thighs." She scolded without any real malice in her tone.

Ivar turned his head back to the front, glad she was behind him and therefore unable to see the shade of pink flushing his cheeks at being caught staring at the inside of her fleshy legs.

He felt the washcloth on him, moving in circular motions across his shoulder and back. Dragging himself around all day proved monumentally straining on his upper body, and Ivar closed his eyes at the unwinding of his tight muscles as her firm presses massaged their way over him. The girl wrung out the washcloth over his back and shoulders. Water cascaded over him, rinsing off any remaining dirt.

Ivar became curious. "You are exceedingly well-practised at this entire routine for someone who works under a fisherman."

He could hear her intake of breath.

"How observant of you." She mused light-heartedly before sighing. "I was a slave before I came to Kattegat. My master at the time had many wealthy travellers stay in his home, and I was his hospitality gift to them. My job was to feed them and bath them… among other things."

"And how is it that you made it to Kattegat a free woman?" Ivar had turned his head and shoulders to be able to see her face, genuinely interested in her story.

The girl did not look up from soaking and wringing out the washcloth as she spoke. "Another of my jobs was to train the other slave girls to please men. Once I had accomplished that, I was of no use since he now had many other girls to do my job for me. My master grew bored of me one day and simply freed me. Where else would I go from there other than the successful trading township of Kattegat, home of the absentee king, Ragnar Lothbrok?"

Ivar admired the girl's resolve. She was definitely a survivor.

"What is your name?"

"Kari." The girl locked eyes with him. "I have no family name."

 _Kari_ seemed to hold his gaze a moment longer than necessary before she blinked herself out of whatever deep thought she was having.

"I've talked enough." She said, smacking his upper arms gently with the wet rag. "Now, stop fidgeting and let me wash your chest."

Ivar grinned at her, turning back to face the water that extended before him. The bath tub was long enough for him to be able to lay his legs out straight and his feet would still be a few inches short of the other end. Floki had made it especially for him once it became clear that bathing with his unresponsive legs tucked to his chest was too difficult.

Kari stood, holding the skirt of her dress out of the water's reach, and stepped out of the tub. Uncaring of her wet legs, she sat on the wooden stool and leaned over the tub's rim to be able to reach his chest.

She was resting the weight of her entire upper body on the wood of the tub, which pressed up into her side. To Ivar, it looked tremendously uncomfortable.

As Kari leaned further over the rim, Ivar's arms shot out like vipers and snatched her around the shoulders. He pulled her into the water before she could do anything to stop it.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

* * *

 _You like the sound of love,_

 _Of drinking the dragon's blood._

 _Oh, but you might not_

 _Like the taste._

* * *

Kari landed in the large tub with a _splash_. She pushed herself to the surface, coughing up the water that she sucked into her throat.

Spluttering like an idiot, Kari shoved a snickering Ivar by his chest. "Why did you do that?!"

He smirked, splashing a little bit of water on her face. "I noticed you were having some trouble reaching me from where you were. Now I am much more accessible."

Kari narrowed her eyes at him, irked, but set to work scrubbing his chest clean despite herself. Straddling his knees, she did not have to worry about being too far away from him to reach, but still far enough from him so that their groins would not rub against each other should either of them shift.

As she cleaned, Kari found herself enjoying the way the hot water simultaneously soothed and stung her skin. It was not often she was able to relax for a long bath.

Unwillingly, her eyes strayed to his face. His eyes were closed -something for which she was glad since his staring unsettled her despite her reluctance to admit it- and the lines of his face were smoothed out. Ivar did not have the furrowed brow and curled top lip she so often saw him wearing when under the public's eye.

No, Ivar the Boneless looked like a boy of fifteen years finally receiving some fond attention after a lifetime of ridicule and scorn.

Kari moved the cloth lower down, scouring at his stomach and sides beneath the water. She stopped when she reached his hips. Kari slid down to the opposite end of the tub and sat cross-legged, pulling his feet into her lap. She bit her lip, the washcloth in her still hand as she hesitated.

"Will they hurt if I scrub them?"

She raised her head to see Ivar looking at her with disinclination. He sighed and dropped his gaze, not making eye contact with her.

"You don't have to… you know, do that." He said quietly.

Kari had never seen Ivar the Boneless so insecure. It occurred to her then that besides all of his bloodlust as a Viking (which was considerably more than most men), perhaps Ivar's cruelty was simply a coping mechanism for his own self-disgust.

"You ordered me to bathe you, now I'm going to bathe you." Kari let a grin creep onto her face. She playfully splashed some water onto Ivar's chest and he smiled at her despite himself. "Stop second-guessing your own commands."

Kari brushed the washcloth over his feet one by one, taking care to make sure she didn't press too hard despite him never confirming if it would hurt or not. She moved her focus up to his ankles next.

Taking the time to actually study his legs, Kari found that they were like anyone else's. Of course, they were pale from never seeing the sunlight, and very thin, with no muscle development from lack of use, but they were legs nonetheless.

As her hands travelled up to his knee, Kari asked the question on her mind. "You know your legs are there, obviously, but can you feel them connected to the rest of your body?"

Ivar, who had not taken his eyes off her the entire time she worked, watching for her predicted-to-be sickened reaction, was surprised by her words. Aside from his mother, nobody ever asked about his legs unless they were insulting him.

"Just because I cannot control my legs does not necessarily mean I cannot feel them." He explained, curving his arms to the bow of the tub's rim. "I can feel pain should you cut me. I can feel your hands trailing up my legs."

"Careful there, Prince." She taunted, pinching the flesh above his knee and causing him to hiss through his teeth. "Do not get carried away, I am here only to bathe you."

Kari moved to his other leg, working from the ankle to the knee. Soon she was washing his thighs, then his hips. She did not even spare a glance at his manhood, instead closing the gap between where she had finished cleansing his stomach.

"There." Kari declared, pulling herself to her feet in the tub. Her simple dress clung to her body with the water, and her hair had long since fallen from its restraints, hanging in soaking wet ropes around her face. "You are clean- Oh!"

Ivar the Boneless had pulled her down into the tub once again. He had her by her upper arms, pinning her in his lap with a lustful gleam in his eyes. She could feel his cock, hard, against her.

His lips attacked hers, pressing roughly, his hot tongue pushing against her lips, demanding entrance. Kari tried to pull herself from him, but his grip was too strong for her to fight against.

"No."

Ignorant to her refusal, his hands slithered over her body: one to her hip, pushing her groin crudely against his, the other to her breast.

"Stop." She cried against his mouth. "Stop it."

Ivar continued to ignore her.

Kari grabbed the hand on her breast with both of her own and shoved it backwards so that it collided with his chest.

"Ivar!"

The boy froze, pulling back from her, confusion on his face.

"I do not wish to have sex with you!" Exclaimed Kari.

His confusion transformed into a hideous scowl.

"Of course you don't." He retorted bitterly. "Nobody would ever sleep with the _cripple_. Why would a woman ever lay with a man who cannot please her?"

He leant back against the wooden tub, removing his hands from her and letting out a huff of resentment. Kari sat unmoving on his lap, considering her next words carefully.

"I was under the impression it was clear by now that I do not mind your legs: It is not because of them. I do not wish to lay with you because for so many years all I ever did was have sex. Sometimes I was willing and sometimes… I was not. But it was sex either way. Now I have no desire to bed anyone. I simply have lost the ability to lust."

Kari sighed dismally as she spoke. Her words were true: she did not lust after any man or woman.

Ivar's eyes studied her intensely to see if she was lying to him.

Kari looked up to meet his stare with confidence.

"If you would like though, I can teach you how to please a woman. Like I said earlier, my job was to teach women how to please men. I can do the opposite for you."

"But you just said you wished not to sleep with me."

Kari nearly rolled her eyes. "Not me, a friend of mine. She will be more than willing and she will not betray my trust to tell anyone of it. This, I swear to you."

Ivar blinked, seemingly shocked by her proposal.

"There are only two thing I ask of you should you accept, and those are that you be patient and open-minded, and that you _never_ touch me without first asking. So," She told him. "Yes or no?"

"I want to be areal man, one who can love his wife how she deserves."

"An honourable wish. And your answer?"

Ivar the Boneless sat up straight, determination fuelling him.

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

* * *

 _Proud like a hunter with a bow,_

 _Cowed like a prisoner below,_

 _I don't sleep so well._

* * *

"And he agreed?"

"Yes."

"Ivar the Boneless actually agreed to let you teach him to please a woman?"

"Yes."

Ingrid's eyes opened comically wide. "You do realise he will kill us both for talking about this?"

Kari laughed at her friend. "He will do no such thing Ingrid, I assure you. That's actually why I have come to you."

The beautiful blonde girl tilted her head as she looked across the table to Kari.

"You know of my withdrawal from intimacy. I need someone else for Ivar to learn with. You will be that someone." Kari stated.

"What makes you think I will submit myself to lying with a cripple boy?" Ingrid asked with a sceptical laugh.

Kari smiled knowingly. "You are a whore, and you would love to sleep with Prince Ivar, son of the legendary King Ragnar Lothbrok. Of course you will accept my offer." She takes a sip from her cup

Ingrid grinned. "You know me too well, friend."

"I have to warn you; you should not call him cripple. His legs are a tender subject and should he hear you bringing it up with ridicule, he will surely cut your tits off."

"Cut my tits off?" The blonde scoffed. "I'll have his manhood before he takes these magnificent breasts away from me."

The girl cupped her large breasts and jiggled them wildly, causing Kari to choke on her drink with laughter.

"I'm serious, Ingrid." The red-haired woman sobered herself. "And you mustn't tell _anyone_ of what transpires with us three behind closed doors. Do you understand?"

The young whore leaned over the table, taking Kari's hand in hers. "I swear on my life." Her lips turned upside down in distaste when she gazed up at Kari's head. "When will you start doing something about your hair? It has so much potential and yet you neglect it like a dog neglects rotten meat."

"Are you calling me a dog?" Kari guffawed.

"Of course not." Ingrid smirked.

The two of them turned to watch the fireplace as silence fell over them like a blanket.

The girls shared the cabin. On the left of the fireplace was Kari's bed, and on the right was Ingrid's. The table they sat on was directly in front of the hot flames, and behind them was the door and the kitchen and bathing area. It was a small cabin, but for the two of them, it was home.

"So when do we start?"

"Tomorrow night, at the feast."

"… _At_ the feast?"

"At the feast."

* * *

A broad-shouldered drunk jumped onto the table and the crowd cheered, and downed the entirety of his mug in one go. He wiped the back of his hand across his beard and let out a roar of victory. The guests of the feasts laughed and howled with him.

"He looks big," Ingrid murmured into Kari's ear as the two girls passed the rowdy group, "And rich."

"Don not even think about it, Ingrid. We agreed you would not sell yourself until I was finished with you for the night."

The young whore pouted theatrically. "But I could get _at least_ a gold chain from that man."

"Later." Kari eyed her sternly. She spied Ivar sitting at the head of the furthest table from the doors. She sat in the empty seat to the left of him, and Ingrid opposite her.

"Hello Prince Ivar," Ingrid purred, placing a hand over his bicep, "What a pleasure it is to finally meet you."

Kari almost rolled her eyes at Ivar's indifference to her friend's obvious flirting.

"Ivar, this is Ingrid. She will be assisting us in our… sessions. I hope she is to your liking."

The boy nodded, looking to Kari and not the pretty girl on his arm.

"A useful thing to keep in mind when dealing with a woman is that you should always giver her your attention whenever she speaks to you." Kari said. "The scorn of a woman ignored is not at all pleasant."

He turned to Ingrid at Kari's not-so-subtle gesture and smiled at her. "The pleasure is mine. You are a beautiful woman, Ingrid."

Kari's jaw slackened at how charming Ivar suddenly became. Is were as though he had transformed into an entirely different person. But his face shifted back to its usual indifference as soon as he finished speaking, reminding her that his politeness was fake.

Ivar the Boneless was not a charming boy.

"So, where are we going to do this, huh? My cabin is at your disposal but there are always my brothers' bedrooms in the back." Ivar smirked devilishly at the idea of soiling his brothers' beds.

"There will not be any sex tonight." Kari informed him.

Ingrid sighed. "Sadly."

"There will not even be any touching." Kari continued as though she were never interrupted. "Woman are not bags of meat: to have a woman's body you must first recognise her as someone to flatter, someone to respect, and make her feel beautiful. Your task for tonight is to make a woman smile and blush without touching her."

Ivar scowled. "I want you to show me how to make a woman enjoy sex with me, not make them _smile_." He mocked the last word.

Kari remained calm despite his foul attitude. "And how exactly do you expect a woman to have sex with you when you cannot even convince her to come to your bed. All I am asking is for you to earn one girl's blush."

Ivar still seemed unwilling. Kari knew that she would have to manipulate him into it, and his pride and ego was a fragile thing.

"Or can you not accomplish such a task?" Ivar's eyes flashed with fury, so she knew her words were taking their effect. "Completing it will impress me; something only few have achieved."

Kari almost felt his determination as her own. He clenched his teeth.

"Fine, I will submit to your petty instructions." He threw back what was left of his drink and slammed the empty mug upon thee wooden table before him.

Ingrid looked at Ivar with surprise before turning her gaze to Kari. "Hopeless," she mouthed silently.

Kari was not so quick to agree. She had offered her services knowing full well that Ivar the Boneless would not be a simple someone to teach. She had hope.

"So, Kari," Ivar asked, reclining in his high-backed chair, "Why is the lovely Ingrid here if she was never needed?"

"For a show. The young Prince Ivar being accompanied at his table by two girls drew several pairs of eyes as soon we sat down. Lots of inquisitive girls wondering if the Prince is finally showing some interest in looking for a partner. Now they will be more curious than cautious when you approach them."

Ivar's scowl lightened minutely, so slight that Kari did not notice. He leaned forward onto his elbows and crossed his arms on the table. "How long do I have to wait?"

Kari tilted her head disapprovingly as he looked up at her with a dead-eyed smile. "We have attracted enough attention already. There is a girl by the table behind you that is quite beautiful if you would like somewhere to start."

Ivar rolled his eyes like she was an imprudent child he was forced to tolerate and slid from his chair.

"And remember, no touching. I'll be watching, Prince."

He didn't acknowledge her as he slithered away on his hands, but she knew he had heard her.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

* * *

Thank you all so much for the support! To the anon who so kindly commented that this story was 'a load of shit': Keep the comments coming, because you're only raising my review count xoxo.

In regards to the delays in posting; I have barely any free time with my school work and haven't been able to write a single sentence in the past few weeks. Updates will now be sporadic due to this.

* * *

 _It's peace I desire but I can't put the fire out,_

 _Or I'd be in darkness again._

* * *

Ingrid gawked at Kari. "Gods, he is handsome! And his body, he must be _strong._ I can only imagine the muscles under that shirt of his." The whore threw her head back and sank against the back of the chair as though she were melting. "I cannot believe I get to have sex with him!"

"Oh please," the fiery-haired girl scoffed, "You and I both know he is going to be terrible his first few times. He will bring you barely any pleasure, let alone a climax. Do not overestimate him simply because he is good-looking."

"Ha!" Ingrid jumped, "So you do think he's handsome." -Kari rolled her eyes- "And I am well aware he will not be experienced, but once he is…" She bit her lip as her eyes glazed over lustfully.

Kari sighed dejectedly. She missed the feeling of arousal, the anticipation of pleasure before bedding someone. "Go find that boisterous man and have some fun," She ordered, picking up a chicken leg and pointing it at her friend, "If you make enough, I will give you my earnings for the week and we can buy that obscenely large fur quilt you wanted tomorrow."

Ingrid squealed and shot up from her seat, circling the table and embracing Kari. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The blonde kissed her on the cheek and disappeared amongst the throng of people.

Kari laughed softly to herself as she bit and chewed on the tender flesh. Ingrid was her unstoppable force of happiness and resilience. Some days she swore the Gods had sent Ingrid down to bring joy to the lives of everyone she met, and Kari thanked the Gods for it. She loved the girl, and if sacrificing a week's wage would further show that, then so be it.

The red haired woman turned her attention to Ivar. He was seated on a bench; the girl she had mentioned was nodding along to what he was saying. The conversation actually seemed to be going rather well until the girl stopped nodding and frowned, insulted. She huffed and turned her back on Ivar.

When Ivar looked at Kari with heavy breath and a curled top lip, she simply took a bite out of the leg she held and met his glare with her own expectant stare. He accepted the underlying challenge it presented and turned his attention from her to a blonde woman sitting alone.

Over the next hour, Kari ate, drank, and observed as Ivar shamelessly flirted with women, all of which ended up walking off on him. There had been eight so far, each one lasting a little longer than the previous.

At least there was improvement, Kari told herself.

Now Ivar sat beside a lanky woman with glossy black hair. She was stunning as she giggled, slightly influenced by good mead, at his words. He kept his hands to himself as Kari had instructed, but that did not stop her hand from climbing onto his shoulder. After only a few minutes of him smiling and smirking with her, he leaned in close and whispered something into her ear.

Immediately her face flushed pink and she laughed, hiding her face behind her mug. Ivar, having gotten what he wanted from her, pointed out a jolly, stumbling drunk across the room and with a few more words she was walking away from him giddily.

Ivar met Kari's eyes with a triumphant smile from across the tables. He dragged himself to his chair adjacent her and reclined back.

"Are you impressed?" He asked smugly.

"You have done well, and quicker than expected. I thought it would take days for you to learn how to talk to a woman." Kari raised her mug to him. "Perhaps you are not as helpless as I assumed. Consider me impressed."

He grabbed the mug Ingrid had abandoned and tapped it against hers.

Kari was taken slightly aback: Ivar was grinning. An open-mouthed, teeth-baring, eyes-squinting, genuine smile. Instead of showing her shock, she just smiled back and drank deeply.

Looking back, Kari might have considered the moment enjoyable.

They both finished their drinks in silence, then she set down her mug and folded her arms on the table. "I have to know," she pressed. "What in the name of Valhalla did you say to her?"

Ivar chuckled and smiled at her playfully, the mead affecting him as much as it did her. "I think there should be some mystery about me, don't you Kari?"

She hiccupped. "I think there is enough mystery about you already, Prince Ivar."

"I would hope so." His grin was boyish and goofy, and then it faded. "It is the only thing I have going for me."

"Is that so? Are you not a prince? Have you not wealth and safety and a large family?"

He scowled, but she was not surprised considering it was his most common expression after his smirk. "I meant with women," he explained. "I'm a cripple boy, I can barely talk to a woman, let alone pleasure one in bed -something for which I am actually enlisting your… assistance." He grimaced, refusing to admit he was in need of help. "My brothers win the hearts of women because they can travel the seas, and fight. What can I do but crawl around like a wee babe?"

He slumped over, his forehead resting on his crossed arms, defeated. Had he been sober, Kari was certain he would never have said that, but, being even more drunk than he, she did not think of how he was opening up to her. She hiccupped again as she lightly slapped a hand over his elbow. "Come now, Ivar, don't act like your legs render you less of a man. You can fight brilliantly: so well that your own brothers fear you for it. You are strong and violent, a true Viking warrior. And I assure you," she put her hand over her heart, "That one I am finished my teachings, you will have any woman you desire," she drew in her hand and looked down at the table sadly, "Because no one deserves to live a life in which they cannot enjoy the gentle caress of someone they love."

Ivar's head lifted from his arms. He watched her as she watched the table with misery. He looked like he wanted to say something, but merely frowned, his stoic self returning. "You had better be right. If you are wasting my time," Her eyes met his as they glowed in the candlelight, "I will kill you."

Kari seemed hurt for a moment as he dragged himself through the crowd and out the doors. She thought she might actually have been progressing their relationship, that he might start acting like she was a person worthy of sharing his space. But alas, he was the cruel and volatile Ivar the Boneless, and she did not think she would ever matter to him even after she had given him what he wanted.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at his unpredictable change in character- one moment sharing his insecurities, the next threatening her life.

No, she thought, Ivar the Boneless was not a charming boy at all.

She stared into her empty mug, giving another roll of her eyes, and smiling to herself. She set the cup down and stood, pushing past several people to get to the doors. She was going to go home and sleep. Ivar and his petty, childish ways could wait for another day.

She did not notice the eyes of his brothers on her back as she slipped out into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

So, I may have gone dark for over 11 months, and I apologise for that. However, I was inspired to re-ignite this story after I finally checked my emails and discovered so many wonderful and insightful feedback reviews that you had left. It really motivated me to get my ass in gear. And so, I thank you.

* * *

 _And maybe when the bitterness has gone,_

 _There'll be sweetness on our tongues_

 _Once more._

* * *

Kari knelt in the sand, a large fishing net spread out before her. Ivar watched her leaning over, fiddling with a knot here and a tangled rope there. He was far enough for Kari not to notice him – too engrossed in her work – but he could see her there, in her boring brown dress and her wild hair held behind her in a thick rope.

Honestly, Ivar chided distastefully, she had the potential to be something close to pleasant on the eyes and yet she wasted her looks for naught.

It had been three days since the night of the feast. He had passed her first task, and then he had divulged one of his biggest insecurities to her after a little too much mead. He cursed himself for opening up like he had- he never did that, not even to his mother and brothers. He chalked it down to how Kari had treated him the first night they met- she was indifferent to his disability, and was never affected by anything he said to throw her off her game. She even spat back her own remarks.

The thought that he had slipped up to some stupid, ugly girl made him angry.

The fact that she had ignored him for the next three days only furthered his frustration.

He made his way down the sand bank to her. Ivar detested sand: it made its way into all of his clothing, and provided a momentous effort to move through. He had reached the opposite side of the five-foot net when she looked up.

She smiled pleasantly at him as though the snarl on his lips was not there. "Hello, young Ivar. What brings you to the beach this evening?"

"Do not call me that!" He growled.

"I am three years your senior, why should I not?"

He wanted to smack that lovely smile off her face. He yanked at the net and sent it scattering along the sand behind him, surely tangling horribly.

"That was childish," she frowned, "And rude."

"Shut up," he barked as he closed the distance between them, "If you ever call me that again I will chop your nose off, do you understand me?"

Kari's head tilted as she looked at him unreadably. "If you had simply asked me instead of throwing a tantrum, this conversation might have been slightly more pleasant." She sighed and sat back on her ass. "But since it offends you, I will not call you it again, okay?"

Ivar's chest rose and fell heavily with his breathing, he was quickly losing his temper.

"You were already angry when you arrived." She noted. "What happened?"

"You've been avoiding me," Ivar said, "You said that you would show me how to please a woman and yet you have not made an appearance in days!"

"I have not been avoiding you." She retorted. "I have been where I always am, you could have easily sought me out earlier than this."

"It should not be my responsibility to fetch you, you should be coming to me to do what you promised." He bit back.

"The last thing you said to me before storming off was a threat to my life. Right after I swore I would do what I offered, not to mention."

"Why are you offering in the first place, Kari?!" He exclaimed. "The first time we met I forced you to bathe me simply because I was bored and wanted to frustrate someone! And here you are, helping me even after everything I've done to try and put you off."

She wiggled her toes under the sand, her voice quiet. "You remind me of myself."

Ivar looked at her, both confused and annoyed. "How could _I_ possibly remind _you_ of yourself?"

Kari lifted her brown eyes to meet his. "You want to feel love, do you not? Or at least the pleasure of making love, I suppose. I want that too, do you not see? I want to be able to feel pleasure. I understand that need, and I cannot just leave you feeling as hollow as I am." She sighed, her chest deflating.

Ivar frowned. The other night she had spoken about living a life in which one could not enjoy the touch of another, he just hadn't made the connection that she was speaking about herself as well as him. "Whatever," he said half-heartedly, his anger forgotten though he refused to show any sympathy, such was his way, "Do not disappoint me, is what I am saying. And…" He paused. "And I appreciate what you are doing."

He dragged himself back up the sand bank before he could see her reaction. If he had turned around, he might have seen that she was smiling.

* * *

A further two days passed until Kari found herself carrying a tremendously heavy bucket into the Hall. She grunted with the effort it took to set it down at the steps to the twin thrones. Aslaug and her youngest son each occupied one. Ubbe, Sigurd and Hvitserk were sat together on the steps to the right.

"Queen Aslaug," She greeted, "Prince Ivar."

It did not go unnoticed that she never even glanced at the other three boys.

"Hello again, girl." Aslaug grinned, "What brings you back here so soon? It has not yet been a week, I believe."

"Queen Aslaug, this morning Calder caught a rare fish and asked that you have the first opportunity to buy it before it went to the market."

The woman sat back in her chair, flicking her hand carelessly. "Let's see it then, shall we?"

Kari wrestled the giant, dead fish out of the ice. It was heavy and cold, and she had to cradle it to her chest with both hands to hold it up. "It's the largest he has ever caught, and it has enough meat to feed a dozen men."

"How much would you make from this?" Ivar asked as he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

She tilted her head at him, a cheerful gleam in her eye. "If I sell it before midday I will receive almost half of the earnings considering I helped net it." Then, as an afterthought, " _Prince_ Ivar."

Without even looking to his mother for approval he declared, "We'll take it."

Ubbe let out an impressed whistle. Ivar turned his head to his brother, a dangerous smile on his face. "What, can I not buy a fish without critique? Is it so surprising that I take an interest in the food that goes in me?"

Sigurd snickered. "I do not think it is the fish you are interested in, brother."

"Come now, my sons," Aslaug interrupted before Ivar could retort. "The girl is here on business. Let's not have an argument right in front of her." She eyed her second youngest son, "Sigurd, you know your bother would never settle for a fisherman's helper, so don't tease him so."

Kari did not miss how Aslaug looked directly at her as she said her last sentence. It was an insult, pointing out her status compared to her family's. She didn't let the effects of the woman's words show. But why _was_ she affected by them? Kari was perfectly content with her work, so it wasn't that. She wondered why the queen would try to insult her like that in the first place, for Kari had only ever been respectful during the few times she brought goods for Aslaug's inspection.

"Now," the woman said pleasantly, "As Ivar wants, we shall have the catch. Boys, the day is wasting away. Go and get some air, why don't you?"

Her three eldest sons stood and walked to the door, smirking down at her as they passed like they knew something she didn't. Kari merely smiled like she was oblivious.

"You too, Ivar."

Ivar rolled his eyes. "Mother-"

"There is absolutely no way I am letting you talk me out of this." Aslaug said. "You cannot stay inside all day."

He smiled sarcastically. "Of course, mother."

Kari was surprised that his words did not carry any of the malice he showed on his face. It occurred to her that Aslaug was maybe the only person Ivar truly cared about.

He dragged himself from the hall, leaving the two women alone.

* * *

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